Always on the Losing Side
by Vicky-V
Summary: Raditz might look upon it as some sort of game. If only Zarbon didn't have that annoying habit of winning all the time. ZarbonxRaitz oneshot.


**Pairing:** ZarbonxRaditz

**Word Count:** 1,821

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in connection with Dragonball Z, nor do I make any money writing this fanfiction.

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**Always on the Losing Side**

Zarbon is skilled at catching Raditz's eye when he wants to. It only takes half a second and the slightest movement of his eyebrow and all of a sudden the Saiyan is doing all in his power to keep his tail from twitching.

Of course he knows if he allows it to happen before leaving for a mission ordered by Frieza, it would be dismissed as excitement. The battle lust the Saiyans crave is well known, after all. When they return, Frieza always finds something to mock and criticise them for, such as how long it took or that it required the Saiyans having to resort to their Oozaru state. In that case, he can swish his tail around as much as he wants in anger.

Nobody could guess the truth behind a part of those actions. Zarbon's timing is always absolutely perfect and always done during the one second when nobody else could spot the eye contact between them. Then it is ripped away and no other being around them is any wiser, but he has already done his job. Raditz is already alight with something other than rushing Saiyan adrenaline. But Raditz has also learned some tricks of his own. He knows how to keep a certain amount of consciousness on how his tail is moving, because if he doesn't there is the risk of Nappa or his prince spotting a movement which seems out of place with the emotions he is supposed to be feeling in their eyes.

He does hate Zarbon for having so much power over him during one second of eye contact and the slightest movement of his eyebrow. There's a small part of him which rages away about that cocky bastard, swanning around as though he's the greatest thing in existence, save, perhaps, for Frieza. Each and every time he tells himself that his gaze will never go near Zarbon ever again. It will remain perfectly trained upon his prince, Frieza or even the floor if needs must.

Raditz hasn't quite perfected that yet.

xxx

The Saiyans don't always stay together as a group, which leaves the perfect opening. Frieza's mockery of the Saiyan's work always leaves prince Vegeta in the foulest temper and if it weren't for Raditz's survival instincts kicking in then he's sure he may be at least missing a limb by now. Whenever they step out of Frieza's hearing range, Vegeta's teeth are bared, his tail is whipping around his knees, his shoulders are hunched and his words are scathing. He tells Nappa and Raditz that if they wish for the further pleasure of joining him on clearing missions then they had better get out of his sight and stay out until he's exterminated the entire current supply of SaibaMen.

Nappa retreats to a training room somewhere on the other side of whichever of his many bases Frieza is currently favouring and Raditz often does so for a while as well. Because he's pissed about Frieza's words too and revels in the imagined sight of his dissembled, blood-splattered corpse. But also because he can't stand the power Zarbon holds over him with a single, short look and how he can't stop giving in to it.

Hours pass and he's never sure how many. Raditz never started counting. All he knows is that he'll be walking back down the hallways, looking forward to showering off the layers of sweat he's covered himself in and all of a sudden Zarbon is _there_. Right before him as though he's somehow appeared out of thin air. But Raditz knows that is merely a childish thought he must push down. Zarbon knows the hallways better than anybody, so sneaking around is second nature to him.

He always manages to appear at the right time. Frieza has an army of millions and there are thousands of soldiers on each base at any one time. But Zarbon always manages to pick the exact moment where there are absolutely none within earshot.

It's a skill Raditz wishes he had as well. Between them, Zarbon is the only one who is absolutely confident as he repeats the scathing mockery the Saiyans were already put through by Frieza. There are remarks about his training and questions which can never be given a satisfactory answer concerning Raditz's training and how is it he can remain so weak in comparison to the other two if he insists he's trying so hard.

Both of them know that the aim is to get Raditz's blood boiling and his temper flaring. It works each and every time. Raditz returns his own threats, only to have them batted away and laughed at by Zarbon because both of them know there are light years of distance between their power levels.

But amongst the snide comments and burning mockery there snakes something else. Zarbon has perfected the art of saying _those_ particular words in a way which isn't out of place within the flow of his speech. He knows how to say them in a way that when Raditz detects those words his adrenaline starts to react differently. He's still snarling and still snapping back his own poisoned words but all of a sudden he's noticing the way Zarbon's lips move. His eyelids move down a little bit more when he slips in those other words and Raditz always thinks about how feminine his eyelashes are yet, for some reason, he never thinks to use that as an insult at the time. When he moves his head down a certain distance, some hair will slip over his shoulder and Zarbon will move his hand up to push it back, apparently without fully realising he's doing it.

Then, somehow, Zarbon wins, just as he always does. There's that mocking smile on his face, but his eyelids are still down in that particular way. He turns and walks away with his chin in the air, but during that first step Raditz always spots a certain movement in his hips before his caps billows back into place to hide it.

He's left to suddenly realise how tight his throat is and how he's noticing the sweat on his body in a way he never did before he started encountering Zarbon. The sight of that movement of his hip and how his eyelids are down in a way which makes his eyelashes more noticeable continues to swirl around in his mind and won't leave no matter what he tries. Raditz has even tried giving into his desire to smack his head hard against the wall but, despite the interruption of a very brief dizzy spell, those thoughts just won't go.

Those images in his head were laced with Zarbon's words. Always _those_ particular words which he could only describe as hateful yet horribly addictive.

xxx

He gets to the shower sooner or later. It all depends on how long it takes for him to snap out of the odd trance Zarbon seems to have put him in. Sometimes the water is scalding hot, sometimes it feels a degree away from frozen. There's no reason for which one he selects which Raditz has been able to identify yet. Perhaps that's because he doesn't notice the temperature as much as he thinks he should.

All the time he's still raging about who the hell Zarbon thinks he is. That he has the gall to approach a member of one of the most feared races within all universal history and maul him around like a scavenger beast with a decent scrap of meat it's come across and can't quite believe its luck. In a way he supposes the rage is good. It gets him going to train harder, which raises his strength to one great level after another. But he still remains in the shadow of Vegeta and Nappa, which keeps Zarbon's smirk.

Still, he's just a dressed-up piece of trash and Raditz looks forward to the day where he'll finally be able to break his neck.

Or so he keeps telling himself.

But all those words spoken mentally to himself, no matter how extreme or graphic they are, don't stop his feet as they keep walking forward, almost as though they are possessed by another part of him which revels in the mocking Zarbon gives him.

Before he knows it, or can really figure it out, it's decided that it doesn't matter because it's already too late.

He's already there, somehow, without thinking about it.

And he doesn't think about it after that. It's just easier that way and he's able to forget that it isn't his waist his tail is wrapped around. His teeth remain bared and rather than clenching his hands into a fist his fingers twitch as he wants to dig his fingernails into Zarbon's flesh and mark him. It would at least be something, a victory no matter how small. But, even when he thinks he might do it, Zarbon manages to stop him, sometimes with his own hands, sometimes with a look and Raditz has no idea what the hell those eyes have to hold such an infuriating power over him. When they're _that_ close he can feel Zarbon's eyelashes, always so damn effeminate, scraping down against his cheek and when he remembers that feeling afterwards it's so clear and sharp in his mind he has to check as soon as he can to make sure they didn't leave any scratches. They never do and even as Raditz checks he knows it's a stupid thought but he just can't settle that particular doubt within his mind until he's sure.

It's almost laughable, really, and probably would be to anybody else. At the time it's so easy for him to forget exactly what he's doing but afterwards it catches up and just won't leave him alone. He knows he can go as far as to knock himself out with exhaustion through training but he would still see it all right before his eyes and feel it burning through his body. Teeth on his neck, fingers clutching at his hair and hipbones scraping against his.

He's always made to leave afterwards and he does so quickly. Raditz is, well, not _afraid_ of anything which may occur within him should he stay. He's wary. Because he can't afford to get distracted from the path every Saiyan walks. It's the one of power and if he follows it behind his prince he knows he will see a day when Frieza and everyone loyal to him will be destroyed.

As he leaves swiftly, he makes those same old promises to himself. He will not look up. He will not allow Zarbon the power he keeps winning with so few words and such minor movements. He will not allow him to linger for so long in his mind afterwards. Most importantly, he will not go back.

Even as he makes them, Raditz knows those promises won't last.

_**END**_


End file.
